Improvement in combination-locks



'I L i time @met @fr Mw ma A. B. V-ANDE'MARK, PHELPS, `N-EVVv YORK.

Letters Patent No; 84,659, dated December l, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN COMBINATION-LOCKS.

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The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, A. B. VANDEMARK, of Phelps, in -the county of Ontario, and State of New York, have invented a certain newand useful Improvement in Combination-Locks; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

Figure 1 isa view of my lock, with the back plate removed.

Figure 2, a central section.

Figure 3, a perspective view of one of the tumblers, and the cam that operates it.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

My invention consists in making the vtnmblers with spring-bearings, cut out of and struck up from the surface, and combining therewith an arrangement of cams on the spindle, in such a manner that when the spindle is pressed out, the cams engage with two of the tumblers, by turning in opposite directions, and, when drawn in, they engage with the other two in the same manner.

In the drawings- A indicates the case of the lock;

B, the spindle; and

C, the lock-bolt, which may or may not be thrown by the action of the spindle, as may be desired.

The spindle has the ordinary knob, c, and pointer, b, which latter is used in connection with a scale on the outside of the lock, to indicate the position of the tumblers.

On the spindle is a series of cams, D D D, which are in the form of sleeves or cylinders, and have the cam-pointsc c c projecting so as to Aoperate the tum blers, as will presently be described. Between these cams are inserted the washcrs d 'd d, which are kept `from turning by havingteathers or lugs, which rest in a longitudinal groove ofthe spindle. This is for the purpose of preventing the cam, operating one: tumbler, from imparting motion to the next by friction.

The cams and washers are all clamped in place by a set-nut, f, screwing on the end of the spindle.

The tumblers E E* E2 lil3 are simplydisks cut from thin sheetsteel, A

Iprefer to notch the periphery, as shown atg g, so that when the tang 71l of the belt is brought in contact, vthe touch cannot distinguish between said notches and thetang-notch i which allows the bolt to retract.

A raised concentricspring-bearing lc is cut out of and stamped up'om the material of each tumbler, as clearly shown in iig. 3, which is for the purpose of the engagement ofthe cam-points, as will presently be de-V scribed.

'lhese tumblers are arranged in pairs, as shown in Iig. 2, the pairs being situated between clamp-bars G G, and the individual tumblers .of each pair being separated by washer-plates H H.

Screw-boltsl Z, at the ends, passing through vboth clamp-bars and washer-plates, clamp the tumblers down to just the desired degree of pressure to produce the 'necessary' friction to retain them in place in the position to which they are set by the cams.

This is a very convenient arrangement for the, purpose, since the degree of clamping-action may be eX- actly adjusted to meet the exigencies of the case; and, besides, it forms a convenient means of applying and removing the tumblers, and retaining them in place.

The operation is as follows:

The spindle has end-motion sufficient to engage and disengage the cam with and from the spring-bearings of the tumblers. When the spindle is pressed in, the cams engage with E E2, and when drawn out, they engage with E and E3. The spring-bearings 'of the said cams stand in opposite directions, so that the one tum'- bler is set by turning to the right, andthe mate by turning to the left. In going back, the cam rides ov'er the inclined plane of the spring-bearing, and does not displace the tumbler.

The construction ofthe tumblers, as above described, is exceedingly simple and cheap. They are stamped from the sheetemetal, and the one below forms the whole, with the peripheral notches and the springbearing complete. In most combination-locks the tum- .blers are made of several parts, which are enpensively fitted and adapted together. mine is apparent.

' The arrangement of the cams upon the spindle,

The great advantage of with suicient end-play to engage first with two tum blers, by turning in opposite directions, and then withdrawing and engaging with the other two in the same manner, has never before been known, to the best of Vmy knowledgeA and belief. l

' To change the combination, the tang of the bolt is- Set back into the tumblers to retain them' in place.V The set-nut fis then loosened on the spindle, which is then turned to 'the desired position to make the change.

. What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The,V combination and arrangement, with the disk- L tumblers Ev ELEz E, .provided with spring-bearings It k, of the cams D D on the spindle, having an endmotion to engage in one position with two ofthe tum-4-Y blers,` and, in the opposite position, with the other two, said tumblers, by twos, being set Aby the reverse turns of thespindle, as herein set forth.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name, in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

Witnesses: A. B. VANDEMARK.

J. A. DAVIS, W. J. CREELMAN. 

